Over the years, I have studied and learnt about all sorts of environmental topics from renewable energy and sustainable technology to woodland and habitat management. I have spent most of my adult life within the environment sector, either through education or work and have picked up information and understanding of a wide range of topics and areas. One thing was clear through all of my work and education: the environment needs our help, our planet is suffering and we need to change.
A lot of the education focused on those points above; developing and using sustainable technology and renewable energy, or learning about managing environments to be healthier. But very little, if anything focused on the relationship between humans and the environment and what we can do to make society act more pro-environmentally. As the years have gone on, I have been more and more fascinated in the psychology behind human behaviour in relation to the environment. So much so that I focused my PhD research on human behaviour, specifically influencing behaviour to be low-impact on the environment. I have also dedicated a lot of my working career to improving the relationship and understanding of the environment for the general public.
Don’t get me wrong, I am by no means an Environmental Psychologist, nor any kind of psychologist (though I am tempted to do further study on the matter for funsies). But through my research and through general observations of society, I have come to see patterns and situations arise that fit in with my own understanding of human behaviour.
I have come to consider the reasons we choose to act in a certain way and how our behaviour impacts upon others and the environment. While it isn't strictly relevant for behaviour, I love to consider Newton's third law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. When we do anything, there is a reaction, something happens, not always immediately, but there is a chain of reactions, much like the Butterfly Effect discussed in Chaos Theory. Driving your car on a daily basis might not even be considered a behavioural choice to many. It is standard, just a normal thing that happens. But when you actually think about the reactions that come from driving. the fuel, made out of animals that lived millions of years ago, being burnt to move a large chunk of metal from A to B, while churning out invisible gases that affect the quality of air you breathe as well as the atmosphere of the planet. It isn't just impacting your immediate health (and that of others), it is impacting upon the future of the planet. In modern society, we take everything for granted. A life of convenience is what we now have. A lazy and selfish society who focus more on their own needs and greeds than on the wider community and environment. It sounds harsh, but it is where we are - behaviour driven primarily by our egotistic values, acting in a way that first and foremost benefits our own lives. Either through making it quicker, easier or less energy reliant. We don't stop and think about our decisions and behaviour beyond how it affects us, and that has to change.
This blog series (Understanding Human Behaviour) will take a look at human behaviour in relation to the environment. I'll be dissecting one of my favourite behavioural theories in relation to the environment (the Value Belief Norm theory) and looking at approaches used in various locations to alter peoples behaviour, and some case studies of where behaviour has successfully changed. I'll look at some difference scenarios and situations which help to understand our (humans) relationship with the environment and why we behave as we do, and how, if we work at it, we can improve our behaviour on a personal and societal level to have pro-environmental behaviour.
I hope you'll enjoy and share your thoughts!
Comments